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Has anyone worked through Singapore using only the Textbook and Intensive Practice?

 

DS really doesn't need me to model pages upon pages of problems, so assuming those in the text are similar to the ones in the workbook... they would be more-or-less interchangeable, right? Then we can follow up with the IP to take things deeper without exhausting him by the sheer number of equations.

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DS thought the textbook was like cheating -- he wanted to be told what to do and then figure it out mostly himself so I explained and modeled on paper as necessary.

Hah! Yes, at this point (2A) is giving more concrete examples than he needs, but I would rather a curriculum err to that end. I show 1-2 problems concretely, have DS model 1-2 concretely, then we do the rest orally or on the dry erase board & move on to the IP.

 

With occasional days set aside to play math games & do the mental math practice sheets, we are covering each topic in about the same amount of time outlined in the HIG - just subbing IP problems for Workbook problems.

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hmmmm, I'd asked this same question a few months ago and the consensus was that it was a bad idea.   One said she did that, and regretted it because it didn't stick as well.  

We'd started out doing Singapore grade 1 mostly orally.  We delayed starting handwriting until 6,   But, then at some point, working the workbook problems became handwriting practice also.  

 

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My dd1 uses the textbook, intensive practice,and challenging word problems. The intensive practice book is plenty for her to retain the concepts, but I highly recommend the challenging word problems--they tend to contain the most interesting and challenging questions in the program.

 

My dd2 needs more practice at a basic level before going on to the intensive practice questions. She does about 3/4 of the workbook questions. Ds1 needs the workbook practice only for an occasional topic. Really, you just need to feel out your individual child.

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FWIW, I use SM and also do Beast Academy a level behind as review and deeper exploration. I use other resources as well to explore math and work on problem solving.

 

Since DD is grade 2 we have been forced to do that.   Forced thanks to BA publication schedule.   Now I understand all the angst seemingly everyone here expressed about the grade 3-5 publication schedule.  She'll do the BA books as they come out and SM while waiting for BA.  

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We do this with the addition of Challenging Word Problems. Up until somewhere in 4A or 4B we were doing the TB, WB, IP and CWP. The workbook was just overkill though. We have them for the 5s and 6s. So I can pull them out if we need more reinforcement. But I doubt I will use them.

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Has anyone worked through Singapore using only the Textbook and Intensive Practice?

 

DS really doesn't need me to model pages upon pages of problems, so assuming those in the text are similar to the ones in the workbook... they would be more-or-less interchangeable, right? Then we can follow up with the IP to take things deeper without exhausting him by the sheer number of equations.

 

Honestly, we got to the point where we don't even use the textbook - we use the workbook only. I know we could go deeper with the IP, but we also do BA and I feel like they get plenty of depth from that. Doing the textbook problems would've been overkill for my kiddos, but they like the WB. It's "fun" in a different way than Beast because they feel it's just straight-forward and doesn't require a ton of deep thinking. It's their "relaxed" math, for lack of a better word - when they want to just go calculate some stuff without having to think too hard, they pull out their Singapore WBs. :) 

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Honestly, we got to the point where we don't even use the textbook - we use the workbook only. I know we could go deeper with the IP, but we also do BA and I feel like they get plenty of depth from that. Doing the textbook problems would've been overkill for my kiddos, but they like the WB. It's "fun" in a different way than Beast because they feel it's just straight-forward and doesn't require a ton of deep thinking. It's their "relaxed" math, for lack of a better word - when they want to just go calculate some stuff without having to think too hard, they pull out their Singapore WBs. :)

I think there is a lot of merit to this. DS got burned out on SM and life in general in the middle of 4a. We had more problems than just math but I kind of regret making his math and more serious than necessary -- like I think I could have accomplished the same level of challenge that he needed by going fast rather than more difficult. There are so many fun things to do around pre-alg time and even more fun stuff after algebra.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I've been using just the textbook, Process Skills, and Challenging Word Problems. But we don't use just Singapore. Usually we go through the text first (mostly so I know what to teach and how to approach it) then sit on it awhile in a more unschooling type approach and using other curricula. When he can use the concepts and do the math on our games and stuff I'll have him do the word problems books.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I buy all 4 but only pull out the textbook when I need to show an example of how to work something. Otherwise we do workbook to get the idea of what to do (often if is a review or building on previous year but nice to have a gentle reminder), then we do IP and then CWP. Then when they are on levels were the BA is available we then do that for the grade level. So for example DS did SM 3A WB and IP, 3B WB and IP, CWP, BA 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D. This is my way of slowing them down :)

 

DS is now finishing up SM level 5 and about to start BA 5! Not sure what I will do after that.

Edited by LTBernard
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DD likes what we call 'bed school'.   We turn on the heated mattress pad in the mommy/daddy bed.   Then sit in bed with our bottom half all toasty under the blankets.  Then I read her the textbook.  She could read the textbook herself, and she could usually do the problems without the textbook and just a quick instruction.   But, the textbook is cheap used, and we enjoy it.  She doesn't do any of the examples in the book.  

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Last year we started using Singapore Math,we did grade 2 TB,WB,IP,and challenging word problems.And also problem solving beyond the classroom and visible thinking in the classroom.

This year we just got grade 3 Singapore math TB and WB.For more practice we got Singapore math Practice 3A and 3B (it’s not from the same Singapore math).This was a lot cheaper but the problems are still good for practice.

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